Why migrate?
Birds may move to reach seasonal food resources, suitable breeding conditions or safer environments.
MOVEMENT ECOLOGY
Bird Migration
Migration is a recurring movement between geographic areas, often associated with breeding and non-breeding seasons.
Navigation
Species may use landmarks, celestial cues, magnetic information and learned routes.
Weather matters
Wind, storms and temperature can alter timing and routes.
Stopover ecology
Refuelling sites can be as important as breeding and wintering grounds.
THE WORLD’S FLYWAYS
Nine great highways in the sky
Conservationists group migration routes into major flyways. Protecting a migrant means protecting every country along its route — breeding grounds, stopovers and wintering sites.
Central Asian Flyway
Siberia and Central Asia to Pakistan, India and the Maldives. The Indus Flyway through Pakistan is part of it — used by cranes, ducks, geese and houbara bustards.
East Asian–Australasian
Arctic Russia and Alaska to Australia and New Zealand; the Yellow Sea mudflats are a vital stopover for shorebirds like the spoon-billed sandpiper.
West Asian–East African
From western Siberia through the Middle East and Rift Valley to southern Africa; a major soaring-bird route.
Black Sea–Mediterranean
Europe to Africa, with bottlenecks at Gibraltar and the Bosphorus where storks and raptors cross.
East Atlantic
The Arctic and Northern Europe down the Atlantic coast to West and southern Africa.
Americas Flyways
Pacific, Mississippi, Central and Atlantic flyways link Canada with Central and South America.
CHAMPION MIGRANTS
Birds that travel the world
MIGRATION IN PAKISTAN
Winter visitors on the Indus
Every winter, birds breeding in Siberia and Central Asia cross the Hindu Kush and Karakoram to reach the Indus plains. Cranes follow the Kurram and Zhob valleys; ducks and coots fill barrages such as Taunsa, Chashma and Guddu; and Sindh’s lakes host pelicans and flamingos.
SiberiaCentral AsiaHindu KushIndus wetlands
Birds of Pakistan